Apparatus for manufactu re of gas



(No Model.)

' W. R. ADDICKS.

APPARATUS FOR MANUFAUTURE 0F GAS.

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wi tfiesses.

ANDREW BJSRAHAM. PHO'YOLITHQWASHIN GTDNJZC. I

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WVALTER R. ADDIOKS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURE OF GAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 550,236, dated November 26, 1895. Application filed March 19,1894. $eria1No. 504,120. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER R. ADDICKS, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Apparatus for the Manufacture of Gas, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention is an improvement in apparatus for the manufacture of gas and relates more particularly to a novel construction of hydraulic main employed in connection with a gas producer or generator of substantially the type shown and described in United States Patent No. 348,178, dated August 24, 1886, in which the steam employed in the manufacture of the water-gas is caused to pass through the incandescent body of fuel in the gas-generator in opposite directions.

My present invention has for its obj ect to provide a simple and more efficient construction of hydraulic main, whereby the outlets for the gas maybe controlled with a minimum amount of labor and in a minimum time, so as to positively cause the steam, admitted into the generator or producer at either end of the incandescent body of fuel, to pass through the said fuel and to prevent the said steam from passing off through the hydraulic main without passing through the body of fuel.

In accordance with this invention the hydraulic main consists, as herein shown, of two independent chambers preferably containing water to form a water seal for the gas-outlet pipes of the generators, and when the construction and arrangement of the gas-producing apparatus permit of it the said chambers are preferably made by dividing a single hydraulic main, such as now commonly employed, by means of a partition, and providing each chamber with a gas outlet pipe provided with a valve-seat at its upper end and communicating with the chamber above the water seal when the latter is used, and in the present instance the said outlet-pipe is shown as extended through the bottom of the said chamber, the gas-outlet from each chamber being closed by a valve preferably made so as to be seated by gravity, and for the best results the valves for the outlet-pipes of both chambers are operatively connected, as will be described, to a single actuating mechanism. The gas-outlets from the hydraulic main may and preferably will be connected together outside of the hydraulic main and communicate with a single discharge-pipe, and the said gasoutlets for the hydraulic main will preferably be provided with stop-cocks or valves, for a purpose as will be described. The chambers of the hydraulic main are preferably connected to a single water-supply trough or tank provided with a water-inlet pipe, having a valve which is automatically operated by the level of the water seal in the hydraulic main, to maintain the said water seal at a substantially constant level.

, Figure 1 represents in elevation and section a sufficient portion of a gas-producing apparatus embodying this invention to enable it to be understood; Fig. 2, a top or plan view of the hydraulic main portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 with the cover or top of the same removed; Fig. 3, a detail in section and side elevation partially broken out, to be referred to; Fig. 4, a detail in perspective of one form of valve-operating mechanism; Fig. 5, a detail to be referred to; and Fig. 6 a modification to be referred to.

A represents a gas producer or generator,

which may be of any suitable construction,

such as now commonly employed in water-gasproducing apparatus, in which a body of coal or other fuel a, located upon the usual gratebars a, represented by dotted lines, is raised to incandescence preparatory to the manufacture of water-gas. The gas producer or generator A may and preferably will be pro-v vided near its opposite ends with gasoutlet pipes a a which in the present instance are shown as leading directly to an hydraulic main of novel construction, as will be described.

The hydraulic main referred to, in accordance with this invention, consists of two chambers a aipreferably made, when the arrangement and construction of the gas-producing apparatus permit it, by dividing a single large chamber by means of a partition-wall a. The chambers a c are designed to preferably contain a certain volume of water a ICO below the surface of which project the pipes connected to a single operating mechanism,

pipes a a preferably connected toa single supply-tank a, provided with an 'inlet pipe (4 having a valve a, (see Fig. 3,) automatically operated by a float (L shown in Fig. 3 as connected to a lever a, pivoted, as at a, and having connected to it the stem a of the valve a.

The chambers a a are shown in Fig. 1 as provided with water-outlet pipes (L18 cflflconnected to the chambers a 0. so as to leave a gas-space above the water seal, the said outlet-pipes being shown as extended, down into water-containing chambers a a, forming water seals for the said pipes. The chambers a" a of the hydraulic main, in accordance with this invention, are provided with gas-outlet pipes b I), having their inlet mouth located above the level of the water seal, and which may be extended, as shown in Fig. 1, down through the bottom of said chambers,or which may extend out through the side of the said chamber, as shown in Fig. 6.

For the best results the gas-outlet pipes '12 7) for the hydraulic main may be coupled outside of the hydraulic main to a single discharge-pipe b and the said gas-outlet pipes Z) l) are for the best results provided with stopcocks or valves I)" b.

The gas-outlet pipes a a of the generator or producer A extend into the water contained in the chambers a a to form a water seal for the gas, and the gas-outlets b b for the hydraulic main, in accordance with this invention, are provided with valves, which may be of any usual or suitable construction and which are herein represented as disks b 1), adapted to fit gas-tight into andover the outlet-pipes b b, and in order to effect a positive control and operation of these valvesand thereby of the gas-outlets for the hydraulic main in a minimum time the said valves are they being shown in Fig. 1 as provided with valve-stems 1) b extended through suitable stufling-boxes 12 12 in the top of the chambers (t a and preferably connected by substantially U-shaped links I) I) (see Figs. at and 5) to the opposite end of a lever or walking beam Z), mounted on a shaft Z2 supported in suitable uprights or standards I) or other stationary frame or part of the apparatus, the said shaft being preferably provided, as herein represented, with a crank or arm Z)", constituting a handle by which the rock-shaft 19 may be turned, so as to effect the operation of the valves 1) b.

In order to permit the valves 12 b to be rotated by hand, to thereby grind the said valves on their seats to dislodge any dirt which may gather on the said valve-seats, the valve-stems b b are loosely connected to their links b 11 each valve-stem being inserted loosely through an opening in the bottom of the U shaped link and fastened to the said link in any convenient manner-as, for instance, by a nut Z2 (See Fig. By this construction each valve-stem is connected to its link in such manner as to be lifted by thelink and yet permit the said valve-stem to be turned, as by a spanner rod or pin 11 secured to the valve-stem in any suitable manner, and also to permit the link to pass downward over the valve-stem when the valve is seated, so that when the valve is seated the link slides down on the valve-stem a limited distance and'does not at such time support the valve, which is maintained on its seat by gravity, assisted by pressure of the "gas in the chamber in which said valve is located.

In the manufacture of the water-gas with an apparatus employing a gas producer or generator of the type herein shownand described the steam, to be decomposed by its passage through the incandescent body of coal, is first admitted into the producer atone end of the incandescent body of coal-as, for instance, at the bottom of the producer belowthe gratebars-through thesteam-pipe c,provided with a cook or valve 0, "and after the steam has thus been passed through the incandescent coal the desired or required length of time the current of the steam is reversedthat is to say, the supply'of steam to the bottom of the generator is cut off by closing-the valve 0 and the steam admitted to the top of the generator above the body of incandescent coal by operating the valve 1: in the steam-pipe c.

In practice it frequently happens with the construction of hydraulic main now commonly employed that the valves controlling the gas-outlet pipes of a from the producer or generatorleak and aiford a passage for the steam directly into the hydraulic "main, so that the steam or the greater part thereof does not pass through the incandescent body of coal, and consequently the operation of the gas-producing apparatus is seriously interfered with or entirely stopped.

By the employment of a hydraulic main constructed on the principle herein shown, in which each pipe a a leads into its own chamber and each chamber is provided with a gas-outlet pipe provided with a valve at its top, so that the closing of the valve is aided by gravity and pressure, the possibilities of the manufacture of watergas being interrupted, as above described, are reduced to a minimum, for by an inspection of Fig. 1 it will be seen that the valves b Z1 controlling the gas-outlets from the chambers a a of the hydraulic main not only are'seated by gravity,

' but are also assisted to their seats by the pressure in the said chambers.

Let it be supposed that the steam is admitted into the gas producer or generator A below the grate -bars a through the steampipe 0, the valve 0 in the pipe'c at such time being closed, and it-is desired the same should pass up through the body of coal in the direction indicated byarrow 20, the operator, with the construction of apparatus represented in Fig. 1, would turn the handle 0" in the direction of arrow 21, Fig. 4, so as to lift the valve b and to close the valve 12 and it will be seen by an inspection of Fig. 1 that any steam which might pass into the cham-' ber 00 could not pass out through the pipe I), and consequently the steam would pass up through the producer A, and the water-gas formed would pass into the chamber a through the pipe a and from the chamber a the said gas would pass through the outletpipe I), the valves 11 19 being at such time open.

When it is desired to reverse the course of the steam, the operator would turn the handle in the direction of arrow 22 to close the valve 1) and open the valve b and at substantially the same time the steam-valve c is closed and the valve 0 opened. In this case the steam admitted into the top of the producer A is prevented from passing out of the chamber a by reason of the valve b being closed, and consequently it would pass through the producer and pipe a into the chamber a, from whence it would pass through the outlet-pipe b. IVhen either of the valves 19 b is closed, it is maintained on its seat not only by gravity, but also by pressure in its chamber, and as a result these valves when closed are rendered gas-tight and the danger of leakage is reduced to a minimum.

I have herein shown the chambers a a as formed by dividing a single large chamber or box; but it is evident each chamber may be entirely separate from the other and one chamber located on one side of the producer and the other chamber located on the other side of the said producer, after the manner represented in Fig. 6.

Referring to Fig. 6, the gas-outlet pipes b b in the chambers a a are shown as provided with substantially horizontal sections 01 (1, extended out through the side of the said chambers, and the substantially U-shaped links 11 Z9 to which the valve-stems b b are connected, are attached to the ends of a chain or flexible connection d passed over pulleys d d, and operated by means of a lever d connected to the chain d as at d, and pivoted, as at (P, so that when the lever d is moved in the direction of arrow 21 the valve b is opened and the valve 5 closed, and when the lever is moved in the direction of arrow 22 the valve b is opened and the valve Z) closed. The gas-outlet pipes 12 b in the construction represented in Fig. 6 may be closed or open at their bottom.

I claim 1. In a gas producing apparatus, a hydraulic main provided with a gas inlet pipe, and with a gas outlet pipe for said main having its inlet mouth at its upper end or top, a downwardly acting valve to close the inlet mouth of the said pipe, an actuating device to lift said valve, and means to looselyconnect said valve to its actuating device topermit the said valve to be turned or rotated on its seat and to permit it to be acted upon by gravity, for the purpose specified.

2. In a gas producing apparatus, a hydraulic main consisting of two independent watercontaining chambers,gas inlet pipes extended into said chambers below the water line therein, a gas outlet for each chamber having its inlet mouth above the water line in its chamber, a valve for each gas outlet for the said chambers provided with a valve stem, a common actuating device for both valves, and means to loosely connect the said valve stems to the said common actuating device, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a gas producer provided with gas outlets at opposite ends of the fuel in the said producer, of a hydraulic main comprising an independent chamber for each producer gas outlet, a gas outlet for each chamber provided with a valve-seat at its upper end or top, a gravity acting valve co-opcrating with each outlet for the said chamber to seat thereon, a water supply tank communicating with said chambers and a water inlet for said tank provided with a valve, and means to automatically operate said valve, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a gas producer provided with gas outlets at opposite ends of the fuel in the said producer, of a hydraulic main for each gas producer outlet provided with a water seal below which the said gas producer outlet pipes are extended, a gas outlet for each chamber provided with a valve seat at its upper end or top above the water seal, a valve for the gas outlet for each hydraulic main adapted to rest upon the upper end of the said hydraulic main gas outlet to close the same, and means to operate said valves, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a gas producer provided with gas outlets at opposite ends of the fuel in the said producer, of a gas main for each gas producer outlet consisting of a chamber into which the gas outlet pipe from the producer is extended, agas outlet for each chamber provided with a valve seat at its upper end or top, a valve adapted to rest upon the said valve seat to close the gas outlet for the said main, and means to operate the said valve, for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WALTER R. ADDIOKS. Witnesses:

GEORGE L. DAVIS, J AS. H. CHURCHILL. 

